Tips for Effective Note Taking

Note Taking Tips

* Put the date, class topic, and your name on the first page of your notes.
* Start each day with a new sheet of paper. Write on one side of the paper only. Leave space for ideas that you miss. ( You can also add them to the blank facing page.)
*Don't skimp on paper. Write big, and leave plenty of space between ideas, topics and subtopics.
*Don't try to write down every sentence in order. A good rule of thumb is every third sentence.
*Identify questions or things they you do not understand by using colors or symbols.
*Get cheap pens and lots of them, and don't worry about losing them.
*Sit in the front row or in the middle. Make eye contact with your prof.
*If your class period is long, take reasonable breaks. It's okay to leave if you come back. however, when you do leave, mark the place in your notes where you left off, and when you return, mark the spot where you picked up again. You may even want to note that there is missing information between those tow spots.
*Play around with materials like colored pencils, highters, sticky notes, flags and so on.

Reference: Learning Outside the Lines by Jonathan Mooney and David Cole